In the fabrication of piece parts having irregular shapes and varying thicknesses it has been known to utilize strips of tape of a single width laid out and cut to form the desired shape and thickness of the piece part. The thickness dimension of the piece part can be controlled by laying up multiple plies of the tape. In this fashion, irregularly shaped parts can be fabricated quickly and easily using a variety of material. For example, material used in the aircraft industry for the fabrication of component parts is reinforced graphite epoxy tape.
Previously developed systems for dispensing tape in a lay-up have been extremely large in size and complex in operation. Such prior systems dispense tape in only one direction along a work surface of a table on which a part is being fabricated. This limitation requires the tape dispensing apparatus to move in one direction along the work surface while dispensing tape and then to be transported back to an initial position along the work surface while not dispensing tape or dry hauling to an initial tape dispensing position. Alternatively, the tape dispensing apparatus must be rotated before tape can be dispensed in the opposite direction of travel along the work surface. Systems which utilize the turn approach or retrace approach are extremely slow and complicated in operation. These systems are also limited in the quantity of tape that can be stored on a supply reel since the entire mechanism is required to be turned during the tape dispensing operation.
Previously developed tape dispensing systems have been limited to cutting tape at right angles to the edges of the tape to avoid generating scrap material. Scrap is generated if the ends of the tape were cut at an angle other than 90.degree. or if cut in an arcuate shape between cut sections of tape to be laid.
A need has thus arisen for an automatic tape lay-up system having the capability of dispensing and laying tape in multiple directions without a retrace or turning operation such that tape can be laid continuously in alternate directions along a work surface. A need has further arisen for an automatic tape lay-up system having scrap tape removal to facilitate end cuts of angular and arcuate configurations. Additionally, such a system must be small in size such that large tape supply reels can be utilized, and be simple in operation and construction for cost considerations and a maintenance free operation.